Self-adjusting switch



May 3, 1966 H. FURMAN 3,249,727

SELF-ADJUSTING SWITCH Filed July 8, 1963 l ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,249,727 SELF-ADJUSTING SWITCH i Herbert Furman, Detroit, Mich`., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 8, 1963, Ser. No. 293,461 2Claims. (Cl. 200-159) invention is that it provides an improved self-adjusting closure operated switch. A further feature of this invention is that it provides an improved self-adjusting closure operated switch adapted to be mounted on the closure fra-me and including a plunger assembly adjustable upon initial operation of the switch by the closure to compensate for the clearance space between the closure and the closure frame. Yet another feature of this invention is that it provides an improved self-adjusting closure operated switch having a plunger assembly including a plurality of plunger members, with at least. one of the members being automatically adjustable =with respect to one other member to vary the length of the plunger assembly.

These and other features and advantages of the switch assembly of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a switch according to this invention mounted on a closure frame, with the switch being shown in closed position; v

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the switch in open position;

FIGURE 3 is a view of a portion of FIGURE 2 showing the plunger assembly in an adjusted position; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken'gene'rally along the line indicated by line 4-4 of FIGURE 1. Referring now to the drawings, a switch according to this invention includes a -body or support member 10 having a partially threaded shank portion 12 and a polygonally shaped head portion 14. The switch body is mounted on a door frame or support member 16 by threading the shank portion 12 through a tapped aperture 18 provided therein. The aperture 18 need not be tapped and the shank portion 12 could be provided with self-tapping threads if so desired.

`The shank portion 12 and head portion 14 are provided with an axial cylindrical bore 20 which opens to the outer end of the body 10 and merges into a bore 22 of lesser diameter opening to the inner end of the switch body. A

plunger assembly 24 is pivotally and slidably received within bores 20 and 22 and includes cylindrical plunger members 26 and 28, with member 28 including a bore 30 frictionally receiving the inner end of the member 26 which may be lightly knurled, as shown, or otherwise roughened to provide increased frictional engagement belight 46. When the switch is in closed position as shown in FIGURE 1, sleeve 38 engages the tapered inner end of the body 10 and completes the circuit across the source of power 44 and the light 46 to energize the light.

The plunger member 26 is provided with a closed elongated slot 48, and a pin or member 50 of nylon or other plastic material extends through the slot 48, with the outer ends of the pin being frictionally received with aligned openings 52, FIGURE 4, provided'in the shank portion 12. A coil compression spring 54 seats between the pin 50 and the inner end of the plunger member 28 to continuously bias the plunger assembly 24 outwardly of the outer end of body 10 and lbias the switch to its closed position as shown in FIGURE 1.

The switch is moved from its closed position of FIG- URE 1 toits open position of FIGURE 2 by the engagement of the jamb face 5 6 of a vehicle body door 58 with the outer end of the plunger member 28. The door is conventionally mounted on the door frame 16 for movement between open 'and closed positions, and when the door moves to its closed position, it engages the member '28 to move the plunger assembly 24 inwardly of the switch body as shown in FIGURE 2 to open the switch.

The details of the door 58 and the manner in which it is hinged to the door frame 16 are not shown since they are conventional.

Due to body manufacturing tolerances, the distance between the juxtaposed jamb face 56 of the door and of the d oor frame 16 varies and thus difficulties are often en- .countered in providing a closure operated door jamb switch which is readily adaptable to all bodies regardless of manufacturing tolerances.

This is accomplished by the switch of this invention by adjusting the mem-bers 26 and 28 of the plunger assembly with respect to each other upon initial door closing movement to compensate for body manufacturing tolerances.

As shown iny FIGURE 2, normally when the door moves to its closed position, it will open the switch and the pin 50 will remain intermediate the closed ends of the slot 48. However, if the body tolerances permit the door jamb face 56 to move closer than normal to the jamb face of frame 16, the outer end 60 of slot 48 will engage the pin 50 to stop movement of the plunger member 26 inwardly of the switch body while the plunger member 28 will continue to move inwardly of the switch body to locate the inner end of the member 26 further within the 'bore 30 of the member 28 and thereby adjust the membersV 26 and 28 with respect to each other and adjust the length of the plunger assembly to accommodate the clearance between the door and the door support member. Thereafter the members 26 and 28 will move as a unit whenever the door is opened and closed. If any further change in clearance between the door and the door support member arises the members 26 and 28 will be again adjusted with respect to each other as previously described.

Normally the plunger members 26 and 28 are located with respect to each other in an extended position as 'shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 during manufacture and are thereafter automatically adjusted with respect to each other, if necessary, after installation on the body.

By rotatably mounting the sleeve 38 on the member 34, twisting of the conductor 42 is avoided when the switch body is threaded into the door frame 16 during installation. It will also be noted that the pin 50 is of plastic material so that the outer ends thereof need not be accurately located with respect to the switch body during manufacture since they will be deformed into a continuation of the threads on the shank portion 12 as shown in FIGURE 4 when the switch body is threaded into the frame 16.

The switch may be very economically manufactured and as long as the sleeve 38 and body 10 ofthe switch are of conductive material, the remaining parts thereof may be of plastic -or other nonconductive materials.

Thus this invention provides an improved self-adjusting switch.

I claim:

1. A self-adjusting plunger switch assembly, in combination, an electrically conductive body member adapted to be mounted in a grounded stationary position and including an axial bore, a plunger assembly including first and second coaxially connected rod members slidably mounted within said axial bore and extending outwardly of the body member bore ends, one of saidrod members being received into frictional engagement in a bore cavity of the other rod member to provide simultaneous movement of said rst and second rod members upon movement of the plunger assembly, a conductor member attached to said plunger assembly in axially spaced relationship to said body engageable therewith upon movement of the plunger assembly in one direction relative .to the body member, a resilient member interconnecting the body member and the plunger assembly and biasing said plunger assembly in said one direction, and a stop means interconnecting said body and said plunger assembly to limit movement of said plunger assembly relative to said body member, said stop means including a pin member interconnecting the slidable plunger assembly and said body member, said pin member extending transversely to the body axial bore and slidably received in an enclosed slot extending parallel to said bore whereby forcible movement of said plunger assembly is restrained upon engagement of said pin with an end of said slot, adjustment of the plunger assembly position outwardly of said bore being provided upon applying force to said plunger assembly until sliding movement thereof is stopped and the applying force causes axial displacement between said rictionally interconnected rod members.

2. A self-adjusting plunger switch lassembly comprising, in combination, an electrically conductive body member adapted to be mounted in a stationary grounded position and including an axial bore, irst and second intcrconnected cylindrical plunger members slidably mountedv within said axial bore and extending outwardly of the body member bore ends, said rst plunger member including a bore cavity and said second plunger member frictionally engaging the irst plunger within said bore cavity whereby a releasable frictional interconnection is provided therebetween for simultaneous movement of said irst and second plunger members, a conductor member attached to said second plunger member in axial spaced relationship to one body end and engageable therewith upon movement of the second plunger member in one direction relative to the `body member, a spring member connected between said body member and said iirst plunger member urging the tirst plunger member outwardly from the other body end in said one direction, said second plunger member including an elongated slot opening and said body member including a pin member extending transversely through said slot for stopping movement of said second plunger movement relative toV said body member, said first plunger member being moved to an adjusted position outwardly from the body member upon sliding movement of the second plunger being stopped and said first plunger member being axially displaced relative to said second plunger member.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,125,948 1/1915 Boy1e 20o- 61.73 2,547,765 4/1951 Lund 20o-153 X 2,627,006 1/1953 Lawson eta1 20o-159. 2,716,678 8/ 1955 Randal 20o-61.39 2,921,155V 1/1960 Basso 20o-159 X KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Examiner.

a BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Examiner.

DAVID SMITH, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SELF-ADJUSTING PLUNGER SWITCH ASSEMBLY, IN COMBINATION, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE BODY MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A GROUNDED STATIONARY POSITION AND INCLUDING AN AXIAL BORE, A PLUNGER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND COAXIALLY CONNECTED ROD MEMBERS SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID AXIAL BORE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE BODY MEMBER BORE ENDS, ONE OF SAID ROD MEMBERS BEING RECEIVED INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT IN A BORE CAVITY OF THE OTHER ROD MEMBER TO PROVIDE SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROD MEMBERS UPON MOVEMENT OF THE PLUNGER ASSEMBLY, A CONDUCTOR MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID PLUNGER ASSEMBLY IN AXIALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BODY ENGAGEABLE THEREWITH UPON MOVEMENT OF THE PLUNGER ASSEMBLY IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE BODY MEMBER, A RESILIENT MEMBER INTERCONNECTING THE BODY MEMBER AND THE PLUNGER ASSEMBLY AND BIASING SAID PLUNGER ASSEMBLY IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, AND A STOP MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID BODY AND SAID PLUNGER ASSEMBLY TO LIMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER ASSEMBLY RELATIVE TO SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID STOP MEANS INCLUDING A PIN MEMBER INTERCONNECTING THE SLIDABLE PLUNGER ASSEMBLY AND SA ID BODY MEMBER, SAID STOP MEANS INCLUDING A PIN MEMBER THE BODY AXIAL BORE AND SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN AN ENCLOSED SLOT EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID BORE WHEREBY FORCIBLE MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER ASSEMBLY POSITION OUTWARDLY OF SAID ENGAGEMENT OF SAID PIN WITH AN END OF SAID SLOT, ADJUSTMENT OF THE PLUNGER ASSEMBLY POSITION OUTWARDLY OF SAID BORE BEING PROVIDED UPON APPLYING FORCE TO SAID PLUNGER ASSEMBLY UNTIL SLIDING MOVEMENT THEREOF IS STOPPED AND THE APPLYING FORCE CAUSES AXIAL DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN SAID FRICTIONAL INTERCONNECTED ROD MEMBERS. 